Fuel cells can offer many advantages to the aerospace industry; they are non-polluting, efficient, safe, silent, and can help reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

HYCARUS aims to address the current concerns of European airlines and business jet operators looking for alternative energy sources with reduced environmental impact while anticipating future regulations on pollutant emissions.

The project is coordinated by Zodiac Aerospace and involves partners recognised as experts in their field such as Air Liquide, the CEA, Dassault Aviation, the main testing sites in Europe: the INTA, the JRC-IET and ARTTIC, an R&D consulting agency. All these partners will pool their knowledge to develop a high-performance fuel cell system.

As part of the HYCARUS project, Air Liquide's role is to develop high-pressure storage systems and an on-board hydrogen gas supply for the fuel cell. The system must be compatible with the constraints imposed by an aeronautic environment: restricted mass, lack of space, temperature, vibrations, etc. Under this project, Air Liquide is also responsible for a study of the various solutions for supplying hydrogen on the ground.

Pierre-Etienne Franc, Director of Air Liquide Advanced Business & Technologies Europe said: "This collaborative project in the aeronautics field will meet the need for research on alternative energy solutions in this sector. Hydrogen is an innovative alternative that will help preserve the environment by providing solutions for current concerns: reduction of greenhouse gases and fuel consumption by airline companies."

The project is supported by the Fuel Cells Hydrogen & Joint Undertaking (FCH JU), a European public-private partnership that supports research and technological developments in the hydrogen and fuel cell sectors.